Heating system for incubators and brooders.



H. J. BECKER.

HEATING SYSTEM FOR INCUBATORS AND BROODERS. APPLICATION mzu FEB. I9. 1916. RENEWED MAR. 30. ms.

1,883,@%5 Patented Oct. :29, 1918.

2 SHEETS-SHEET I.

H. J. BECKER.

HEATING SYSTEM FOR INCUBATORS AND BROODERS. APPLICATION FILED FEB.19.I9I6. RENEWED MAR. 30.1918

1,283,045, Patented Oct. 29, 1918.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 2- HARRY J'. BECKER, 0F NORTHAMPTON, PENNSYLVANIA, ASSIGNOB TO WILSON ARBOGAST, OF ALLENTOWN, PENNSYLVANIA.

HEATING SYSTEM FOR INCUBATORS AND BROODERS.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented oct. 2a, 1918.

Application filed February 19, 1916, Serial No. 79,359. Renewed March 30, 1918. Serial No. 225,836.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, HARRY J. BECKER, a citizen of the United States, residing at Northampton, in the county of Northampton and State of Pennsylvania, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Heating Systems for Incubators and Brooders, of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to an improvement in heating systems for incubators and brooders.

The object of my invention is to provide a heating system which when installed will distribute the heat evenly throughout the hatching chamber in such a manner that the temperature-in that chamber will be the same at all points.

A further object is to so construct the heat distributing unit that a maximum efiiciency is obtained as compared with the amount of water heated, and one that will stand the contraction and expansion.

The invention consists in certain other novel features of construction and combination of parts which will be hereinafter fully described and pointed out in the claims.

In the accompanying drawings:

Figure 1 is a view in top plan with the cover removed to better illustrate the position and arrangement of the circulating tubes, I

Fig. 2 is a longitudinal vertical sectional view, taken on line 2-2 of Fig. 1, and

Fig. 3 is a detail perspective viewof the heating unit.

The box or body A of the incubator to which the-system is illustrated as applied is constructed in the usual manner to insulate the hatching chamber against sudden changes of temperature due to the rise and fall of the atmospheric temperature, and at its front is provided with a door 1. The body A may have legs secured thereto or may be supported in any approved manner, and has the usual egg-tray 2 constructed to be received in the hatching-chamber 3, thereof.

A jacket B which forms a chimney for the lamp O carried thereby is secured to the body A, preferably at one end.

An exhaust flue 4 is provided through the center of the jacket B, and a heating-coil 5 is located within the jacket around the flue 4. This jacket is preferably made of cast iron'or other heat retaining material and is tapered slightly toward the top to cause the heat to be directed fully against and around the turn of the coil 5.

Thecirculating system within the hatching chamber consists of a substantially rectangular frame of tubing comprised of side tubes 8 and 9, connected at their outer end by a cross tube 10 and at their inner ends by a cross tube 11, the passage from one of these tubes to the other is left free and unobstructed. At each corner of the main distributing tubes 8, 9, 10 and 11 cross tubes 12 of less diameter are arranged, these tubes are arranged in sets, the outermost one, or rather the one nearest the intersection of the side and end tubes, are placed at an angle of about 45 degrees with respect to the said side and end tubes, the remaining ones, however, do not run parallel with the outermost cross tube but are adapted to spread out fanshaped afterleaving the end tubes so much so that the innermost tubes of each set almostmeet where they intercept with the side tubes. This construction adds greatly to the heating capacity of the unit, serving to distribute theheat more evenly over the hatching-chamber, furthermore the general structure is much stronger when builtalong these lines. It might be desirable however, when the hatching-chamber is substantially square, and likewise the heating unit, to interpose these smaller tubes parallel to each other at an angle of about 45 degrees across each corner of the main heating tubes. The heating coil 5 at its upper end is connected by a pipe 13 to the central part of the end tube member 10. The lower end of the heating-coil is connected at 14 to the lower side of the inner end tube member 11.

Assuming that the coil 5 has been filled with water and the lamp is burning: The water in the coil is heated until steam is gen erated, and this heating causes the water to circulate through the coil. in an upward direction passing through the pipe 13 to the end tube 10, where it spreads laterally to the side tube members 8 and 9, and the first set of small tubes 12, back to the cross tube 11 and another set of smaller tubes from which it passes through the return 14: of the heating-coil around the lamp where it is again heated and the circulation caused to continue.

As a means for relieving the pressure in the. circulating tubes, and retain as far as possible the water and steam without any waste, a steam chest 15 is arranged in the inner end tube 11 directly over the return pipe 1%. Arranged directly above the steam chest is a safety valve 16, which acts to re lease the steam when a certain predetermined pressure has been attained.

In order that the hatching-chan'iber may be properly ventilated openings 18 are arranged in the outer end wall member, which openings are covered with muslin to check the draft and warm the fresh air before it enters the hatching chamber. Uncovered openings 19 are arranged at the top of the inner end wall. section to permit the gases and impure air arising from the eggs to escape to the outer atmosphere.

An outlet 21 controlled by a valve 22 is provided at the lowest point in the coil in order to drain the latter when not in use.

'It will be seen that a boiler or any other suitable form of heating tank might be used in this connection and with equally good results, the heating-coil being merely shown as one means of attaining the desired results.

As a means for controlling the heat applied to the heating coil 5, a thermostatQO is provided in the incubating-chamber and is adapted to operate a flame controlling device which is connected thereto by a chain 6 leading from the regulating lever 7 of the thermostat to a similar lever 23 attached to the flame controlling device. By this ar rangement, the flame is raised or lowered according to the temperature in the eggchamber.

W'hile my invention has been described for use with an incubator, it is evident that the desired function would be accomplished if the device was installed in a brooder or a combination incubator and brooder.

From the foregoing, it will be seen that I have devised a heating unit which with a minimum of heating element accomplishes a successful heating action, with a minimum of fuel consumption.

More or less slight changes might be made in the form and arrangement of the several 1. A heating system comprising a tubularframe, additional tube members arranged diagonally across the corners of the tubular frame, water-heating means, a' supply pipe for said water-heating means arranged to conduct the water to one side of the tubular frame, and a return pipe leading from the opposite side of the tubular frame to said heating means.

2. A heating system comprising a tubular frame consisting of end and side members, additional tube members lea-ding diagonally across from the end members to the side members, water-heating means, a supply pipe for said water-heating means arranged to conduct the water to one of the end members of the tubular frame, and a return pipe leading from the opposite end of the tubular frame to said heating means.

3. A heating system comprising a tubular frame consisting of end and side members, additional tube members leading diagonally from the end members to the side members, said diagonal tubes adapted to be s aced farther apart at their intersection wit the side members, water heating means, a supply pipe for said water-heating means arranged to conduct the water to the outer end member of the tubular frame, a return pipe leading from the inner end member of the tubular frame to said heating means, and a steam chest and safety weight arranged centrally of inner end member of the tubular frame.

In testimony whereof I affix my signature.

HARRY J. BECKER.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents, Washington, D. G. 

